angular-cn/public/docs/ts/latest/cookbook/component-communication.jade

include ../_util-fns

<a id="top"></a>
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  This cookbook contains recipes for common component communication scenarios
  in which two or more components share information.

//
  .l-sub-section
    :marked
      For an in-depth look at each fundamental concepts in component communication, we can find detailed description and
      samples in the [Component Communication]() document.

<a id="toc"></a>
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  ## Table of contents
  
  [Pass data from parent to child with input binding](#parent-to-child)

  [Intercept input property changes with a setter](#parent-to-child-setter)

  [Intercept input property changes with *ngOnChanges*](#parent-to-child-on-changes)

  [Parent listens for child event](#child-to-parent)
  
  [Parent interacts with child via a *local variable*](#parent-to-child-local-var)
  
  [Parent calls a *ViewChild*](#parent-to-view-child)

  [Parent and children communicate via a service](#bidirectional-service)

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  **See the [live example](/resources/live-examples/cb-component-communication/ts/plnkr.html)**.

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<a id="parent-to-child"></a>
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  ## Pass data from parent to child with input binding
  
  `HeroChildComponent` has two ***input properties***, 
  typically adorned with [@Input decorations](../guide/template-syntax.html#inputs-outputs).
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/hero-child.component.ts')
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  The second `@Input` aliases the child component property name `masterName` as `'master'`.
  
  The `HeroParentComponent` nests the child `HeroChildComponent` inside an `*ngFor` repeater, 
  binding its `master` string property to the child's `master` alias
  and each iteration's `hero` instance to the child's `hero` property.

+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/hero-parent.component.ts')
:marked
  The running application displays three heroes:
  
figure.image-display
  img(src="/resources/images/cookbooks/component-communication/parent-to-child.png" alt="Parent-to-child")
  
:marked
  ### Test it
  
  E2E test that all children were instantiated and displayed as expected:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/e2e-spec.js', 'parent-to-child')

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  [Back to top](#top)

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<a id="parent-to-child-setter"></a>
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  ## Intercept input property changes with a setter

  Use an input property setter to intercept and act upon a value from the parent.
  
  The setter of the `name` input property in the child `NameChildComponent` 
  trims the whitespace from a name and replaces an empty value with default text. 
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/name-child.component.ts')

:marked
  Here's the `NameParentComponent` demonstrating name variations including a name with all spaces:

+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/name-parent.component.ts')

figure.image-display
  img(src="/resources/images/cookbooks/component-communication/setter.png" alt="Parent-to-child-setter")
  
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  ### Test it

  E2E tests of input property setter with empty and non-empty names:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/e2e-spec.js', 'parent-to-child-setter')

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  [Back to top](#top)

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<a id="parent-to-child-on-changes"></a>
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  ## Intercept input property changes with *ngOnChanges*

  Detect and act upon changes to input property values with the `ngOnChanges` method of the `OnChanges` lifecycle hook interface.
.l-sub-section
  :marked
    May prefer this approach to the property setter when watching multiple, interacting input properties.
    
    Learn about `ngOnChanges` in the [LifeCycle Hooks](../guide/lifecycle-hooks.html) chapter.
:marked
  This `VersionChildComponent` detects changes to the `major` and `minor` input properties and composes a log message reporting these changes:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/version-child.component.ts')

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  The `VersionParentComponent` supplies the `minor` and `major` values and binds buttons to methods that change them.
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/version-parent.component.ts')

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  Here's the output of a button-pushing sequence:
  
figure.image-display
  img(src="/resources/images/cookbooks/component-communication/parent-to-child-on-changes.gif" alt="Parent-to-child-onchanges")
  
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  ### Test it
  
  Test that ***both*** input properties are set initially and that button clicks trigger 
  the expected `ngOnChanges` calls and values:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/e2e-spec.js', 'parent-to-child-onchanges')

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  [Back to top](#top)

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<a id="child-to-parent"></a>
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  ## Parent listens for child event

  The child component exposes an `EventEmitter` property with which it `emits`events when something happens. 
  The parent binds to that event property and reacts to those events.
  
  The child's `EventEmitter` property is an ***output property***, 
    typically adorned with an [@Output decoration](../guide/template-syntax.html#inputs-outputs)
    as seen in this `VoterComponent`:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/voter.component.ts')

:marked
  Clicking a button triggers emission of a `true` or `false` (the boolean *payload*).
  
  The parent `VoteTakerComponent` binds an event handler (`onVoted`) that responds to the child event
  payload (`$event`) and updates a counter.
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/votetaker.component.ts')

:marked
  The framework passes the event argument &mdash; represented by `$event` &mdash; to the handler method, 
  and the method processes it:
  
figure.image-display
  img(src="/resources/images/cookbooks/component-communication/child-to-parent.gif" alt="Child-to-parent")
  
:marked
  ### Test it
  
  Test that clicking the *Agree* and *Disagree* buttons update the appropriate counters:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/e2e-spec.js', 'child-to-parent')

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  [Back to top](#top)

parent-to-child-local-var
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<a id="parent-to-child-local-var"></a>
:marked
  ## Parent interacts with child via *local variable*
  
  A parent component cannot use data binding to read child properties
  or invoke child methods. We can do both 
  by creating a template local variable for the child element
  and then reference that variable *within the parent template*
  as seen in the following example.

  <a id="countdown-timer-example"></a>
  We have a child `CountdownTimerComponent` that repeatedly counts down to zero and launches a rocket.
  It has `start` and `stop` methods that control the clock and it displays a
  countdown status message in its own template.
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/countdown-timer.component.ts')
:marked
  Let's see the `CountdownLocalVarParentComponent` that hosts the timer component.
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/countdown-parent.component.ts', 'lv')
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  The parent component cannot data bind to the child's 
  `start` and `stop` methods nor to its `seconds` property.
  
  We can place a local variable (`#timer`) on the tag (`<countdown-timer>`) representing the child component.
  That gives us a reference to the child component itself and the ability to access
  *any of its properties or methods* from within the parent template.
 
  In this example, we wire parent buttons to the child's `start` and `stop` and
  use interpolation to display the child's `seconds` property.
  
  Here we see the parent and child working together.

figure.image-display
  img(src="/resources/images/cookbooks/component-communication/countdown-timer-anim.gif" alt="countdown timer")

a(id="countdown-tests")
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  ### Test it
  
  Test that the seconds displayed in the parent template
  match the seconds displayed in the child's status message.
  Test also that clicking the *Stop* button pauses the countdown timer:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/e2e-spec.js', 'countdown-timer-tests')

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  [Back to top](#top)
  
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<a id="parent-to-view-child"></a>
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  ## Parent calls a *ViewChild*
  
  The *local variable* approach is simple and easy. But it is limited because 
  the parent-child wiring must be done entirely within the parent template.
  The parent component *itself* has no access to the child.
  
  We can't use the *local variable* technique if an instance of the parent component *class*
  must read or write child component values or must call child component methods.
  
  When the parent component *class* requires that kind of access, 
  we ***inject*** the child component into the parent as a *ViewChild*.
  
  We'll illustrate this technique with the same [Countdown Timer](#countdown-timer-example) example. 
  We won't change its appearance or behavior. 
  The child [CountdownTimerComponent](#countdown-timer-example) is the same as well.
.l-sub-section
  :marked
    We are switching from the *local variable* to the *ViewChild* technique
    solely for the purpose of demonstration.
:marked
  Here is the parent, `CountdownViewChildParentComponent`:
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/countdown-parent.component.ts', 'vc')
:marked
  It takes a bit more work to get the child view into the parent component classs.
   
  We import references to the `ViewChild` decorator and the `AfterViewInit` lifecycle hook.
  
  We inject the child `CountdownTimerComponent` into the private `_timerComponent` property
  via the `@ViewChild` property decoration.
  
  The `#timer` local variable is gone from the component metadata. 
  Instead we bind the buttons to the parent component's own `start` and `stop` methods and
  present the ticking seconds in an interpolation around the parent component's `seconds` method.
  
  These methods access the injected timer component directly.
  
  The `ngAfterViewInit` lifecycle hook is an important wrinkle.
  The timer component isn't available until *after* Angular displays the parent view.
  So we display `0` seconds initially.
  
  Then Angular calls the `ngAfterViewInit` lifecycle hook at which time it is *too late*
  to update the parent view's display of the countdown seconds.
  Angular's unidirectional data flow rule prevents us from updating the parent view's
  in the same cycle. We have to *wait one turn* before we can display the seconds.
  
  We use `setTimeout` to wait one tick and then revise the `seconds` method so 
  that it takes future values from the timer component.

  ### Test it
  Use [the same countdown timer tests](#countdown-tests) as before.
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  [Back to top](#top)
  
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<a id="bidirectional-service"></a>
:marked
  ## Parent and children communicate via a service

  A parent component and its children share a service whose interface enables bi-directional communication
  *within the family*.

  The scope of the service instance is the parent component and its children. 
  Components outside this component subtree have no access to the service or their communications.
  
  This `MissionService` connects the `MissionControlComponent` to multiple `AstronautComponent` children.

+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/mission.service.ts')
:marked
  The `MissionControlComponent` both provides the instance of the service that it shares with its children
  (through the `providers` metadata array) and injects that instance into itself through its constructor:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/missioncontrol.component.ts')

:marked
  The `AstronoutComponent` also injects the service in its constructor.
  Each `AstronoutComponent` is a child of the `MissionControlComponent` and therefore receives its parent's service instance:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/ts/app/astronaut.component.ts')

.l-sub-section
  :marked
    Notice that we capture the `subscription` and unsubscribe when the `AstronautComponent` is destroyed.
    This is a memory-leak guard step. There is no actual risk in this app because the
    lifetime of a `AstronautComponent` is the same as the lifetime of the app itself.
    That *would not* always be true in a more complex application.
    
    We do not add this guard to the `MissionControlComponent` because, as the parent,
    it controls the lifetime of the `MissionService`.
:marked
  The *History* log demonstrates that messages travel in both directions between
  the parent `MissionControlComponent` and the `AstronoutComponent` children,
  facilitated by the service:
  
figure.image-display
  img(src="/resources/images/cookbooks/component-communication/bidirectional-service.gif" alt="bidirectional-service")
  
:marked
  ### Test it
  
  Tests click buttons of both the parent `MissionControlComponent` and the `AstronoutComponent` children
  and verify that the *History* meets expectations:
  
+makeExample('cb-component-communication/e2e-spec.js', 'bidirectional-service')

:marked
  [Back to top](#top)